I'm an Ubuntu 11.10 user and just tried out Cinnamon, it's a truly awesome DE! :-)

There is one thing that I really can't live without though, and that's a global menu (a.k.a. appmenu, mac-menu, etc.).
I checked the cinnamon settings and its applets, but I can't find anything that could help me...

Now the funny thing is that I've seen a lot of people asking how to get rid of the global menu! It seems it got automatically activated for them, somehow...

The lack of a global menu is really the only thing that is keeping me from completely moving to Mint. Vertical space is important for me (as I spend most of the time on my laptop), and I got used to the global menu after working on a mac and later with unity.

I attached a screenshot of my current desktop (see below).
I'd love to replace the zone with the small application icons and the "open windows" buttons with a global menu.

The "Bug" is probably the Ubuntu-Appmenu that becomes visible behind a transparent top panel whenever the Desktop itself has focus. This is only the Nautilus menu and quite useless in this scenario. I'm not sure if it can be "reproduced", I think it happens when one installs Gnome Shell (or Cinnamon) on an unmodified Ubuntu and then logs into the new DE. The solution is to uninstall a package called ubuntu-appmenu or something. I think it shouldn't be too hard to create a cinnamon applet that makes use of the Ubuntu-component. Just wished I had some time to play around with that. However, it would have to replace the window list so one would need an alternative launcher/taskbar like Docky then.

It's not as bad. Even with my preloaded with other stuff single panel of classic fallback gnome panel there is space for normal sized 4-5 buttons (or app groups, if windows gets grouped) even on lower resolution. That + virtual desktops, and panel space more or less is enough for effective space management(especially, as when no app is focused, there is only one word/entry on appmenu).
I too find inability to use global menu i so got used to a showstopper to me to migrate from gnome classic, it helps a lot on saving screen estate where it counts most on very widespread in these days wide aspect displays.
From what i saw in ubuntu - it's there for most gtk+ apps, but is needed as separate for ones drawing UIs via different/own toolkits (eg. firefox & oo.org/libreoffice had plugins for them, to enable it).
Actually imho it might be better approach to enable support for existing gnome2/gnome3 applets alongside native cinnamon applets so that very wide list of already existing applets or indicators can be reused in cinnamon aswell (including said ubuntu's appmenu).

The only solution would be someone creating a global menu extension. There are very, very slim chances of something like that being built into Cinnamon as traditional menus are preferred by the Cinnamon devs.

Thank you for this thread. That’s all I can say. You most definitely have made this forum into something special. You clearly know what you are doing, you’ve covered so many bases. Thanks!

bimsebasse wrote:The only solution would be someone creating a global menu extension. There are very, very slim chances of something like that being built into Cinnamon as traditional menus are preferred by the Cinnamon devs.

"Preferred by devs" .. somehow sounds like mindset of original gnome developers (though mindset set on relatively a bit more sensible/usable DE then that of theirs). And imho that is exactly what has gone wrong most about it. How about bringing back choice? I recall early times when gnome was preferred to kde because it was more configurable. I won't ask for it to be default, there are many of those that hate global menu. I just wish for possibility to use what i prefer in way i (and some share of others) prefer. "Optional" applet seems to me as fitting everybody. I sincerely hope to not see ressurected developers ignoring users under flags of "we know better what they need" again.

Don't try to read too much into a simple comment about prefernces. As was mentioned before, all it takes for Cinnamon to have a global menu option is for someone to write an applet for it. That's how Cinnamon has gotten nearly all its options so far, and how future functionality will be created for it. As for developers preferring traditional menus, I'm sure that statement is pretty much correct, but keep in mind that Cinnamon was created in order to bring back a lot of those "traditional" functions that Gnome Shell was eliminating, and to give users more potential options than Gnome Shell was allowing. Please don't do a disservice to those people working with Cinnamon and developing applets, themes, and extensions for it by comparing their mindsets to that of the Gnome 3 developers.

mikemmm wrote:Don't try to read too much into a simple comment about prefernces. As was mentioned before, all it takes for Cinnamon to have a global menu option is for someone to write an applet for it. That's how Cinnamon has gotten nearly all its options so far, and how future functionality will be created for it. As for developers preferring traditional menus, I'm sure that statement is pretty much correct, but keep in mind that Cinnamon was created in order to bring back a lot of those "traditional" functions that Gnome Shell was eliminating, and to give users more potential options than Gnome Shell was allowing. Please don't do a disservice to those people working with Cinnamon and developing applets, themes, and extensions for it by comparing their mindsets to that of the Gnome 3 developers.

There was no default global menu in Gnome 2 and there is a global menu in the works for stock Gnome 3 (gnome-shell). I fail to see how Gnome 3 looks bad compared to Gnome 2 if you want global menus.

Church wrote:

bimsebasse wrote:The only solution would be someone creating a global menu extension. There are very, very slim chances of something like that being built into Cinnamon as traditional menus are preferred by the Cinnamon devs.

"Preferred by devs" .. somehow sounds like mindset of original gnome developers (though mindset set on relatively a bit more sensible/usable DE then that of theirs). And imho that is exactly what has gone wrong most about it. How about bringing back choice? I recall early times when gnome was preferred to kde because it was more configurable. I won't ask for it to be default, there are many of those that hate global menu. I just wish for possibility to use what i prefer in way i (and some share of others) prefer. "Optional" applet seems to me as fitting everybody. I sincerely hope to not see ressurected developers ignoring users under flags of "we know better what they need" again.

Bit of a weird rant. All developers of anything under the sun have preferences, certain ideas, certain focus areas, Cinnamon is no different, and I haven't seen any sign on github of global menu functionality coming to stock Cinnamon. The "we know better remark" is too daft to warrant response.

As mentioned above that doesn't stop a private developer from making a global menu extension. There is also plenty choice in Cinnamon, especially compared with what it was forked from. Just because every one of your desired features aren't there doesn't mean it doesn't favour choice - Cinnamon is clearly moving towards more and more customization, and it's obviously a process that takes time.

Why is it so hard for Linux users to be calm and sensible? Some sort of virus cleverly embedded in the kernel?

Thank you for this thread. That’s all I can say. You most definitely have made this forum into something special. You clearly know what you are doing, you’ve covered so many bases. Thanks!

I am on Manjaro (arch x64) using cinnamon-git. I will try to compile that extension right now. Having a choice is good. that's why pisses me off when I can't make nemo to use natural scrolling. Back to the topic: most apps have buttons/icons that duplicate appmenu functionality making it redundant, meaning: appmenu should me hidden by default. can be done: look at your own nemo for instance!!

Buttons for most commonly used functionality, yes.
But appmenu main function is not for hiding menu in general, it's for saving screen estate placing it once in one place, to not have menu bar in each and every window. To me that mostly is enough, though in desktop configuration cases with only one panel and lower display resolution that panel can get too filled indeed.
Imho "hiding" would best realized with something similar to firefox's classic compact theme classic compact options setting - "Merge menubar into one button", thus at least with firefox focused i have single item 'Menu' on appmenu applet, with normal menus as submenus to that.

Yes sorry, but users clarify clear that they want to know of any change of this, not matter when. If i'm wrong or at the same time please say me it's wrong make a job that i don't like for cinnamon (that is mint) and then search the user that request the work in the mint foro. Anyway, sorry if this can create a problem for mint more than a solution. You can expel me whenever you want, but really this is what you want to do, when I try to help? I don't thing so...
Regards.